Before the Angels Fall

Chapter 5~ White Rooms and Chess

She was in the room again, back in that same familiar room. White, white and more white covered the walls. Oh and the want, the desperate need to escape. But all she could do was glance around and sit down and think.

Eyes widening in fear, she finally came to accept the fact that here she was, once again in this room. She was Alice, lost and alone and confused. Cold whiteness coated every wall, and the ceiling as well as the floor. White everywhere. How long had it been since she had last came here? She wondered, smiling grimly. Although she put up quite a show on hiding her fear, she was quite scared of this place. Everything terrified her here: the white paint (was it even paint?); the size of the room; even the chair she had been sitting in.

Her ears perked up like a cat's. Something was moving, shaking the whole room and she thought she caught a glimpse of black as one of the walls split like a hidden door.

Nanae sat up, gasping for air, drenched in sweat. Another dream about that room again, hm?...I wish it would go away. She had forgotten why she was so afraid of that room a long time ago, even when she had started getting those nightmares. She recognized it, like she had seen it in real life, but that image was blurry, as though she had forgotten all about it and it was at the brink of being destroyed from her memory forever. Even when she woke up from that nightmare, the details of the room were fuzzy. The only thing she remembered was her fear of the room and the sheer whiteness of it.

She looked to her right, where her chessboard lay, all ready and set for a new game. If only someone where here to play it with me, she thought wistfully. It had been a long time since she had last touched it, and there it lay on the mahogany table, a fine layer of dust coating it.

In the room next door to her's, Nanae heard her brother starting to wake up, yawning loudly enough for people to hear miles away.

"Can't you be quiet?"

The only response was some muttering and cursing underneath her brother's breath. Checking the time, Nanae realized that it was 4:02, and had more than an hour to get dressed and ready for school. "Hey! Fuji! Do you have enough time for a game of chess?"

"Okay fine!" he roared back, quickly throwing on a shirt and a pair of shorts. Storming into her room, he opened the door none-too-gently. "You got the board set?"

"Yep." With that, Fuji sat opposite to his sister on the side with the white pieces and moved first. Nanae responded quickly, catching on to what her brother was planning. I won't let you win!  Seemed to be the message that they were sending each other every time they took a piece. This is my win! thought Fuji, seeing a gap where he could easily Checkmate the other king. But Nanae sensed it immediately and covered in up in one swift move. Smirking slightly, she saw her brother's face fall, but he covered it up quickly.

30 minutes later, the siblings were still going at it, trying to find gaps and holes, and capturing each other's pieces victoriously. Fuji saw another gap and was prepared to shout "Checkmate", when Nanae quickly reversed her piece and said, "Checkmate."

With that word, Fuji slumped back in defeat yet with a grin said, "Good job, Nanae. You probably might inherit the throne someday."

"Nah, I doubt it. You are the elder and wiser. They will only let you take the throne."

"Really? Even if I told them that my little sister has been beating me at chess recently?"

The siblings laughed. Nanae checked the time and realized that it was almost 5:00. "I'm going to start to get ready. Thanks for playing with me, Fuji."

"No problem." Fuji stood up and walked out the door, leaving a trace of his scent in the room. 

Once he left, Nanae was left alone. Alice, again without her white rabbit. 

What am I going to do about these dreams? asked Nanae to her conscience. What can I do?